In-depth analysis is the process of unpacking qualitative insights, transforming raw data into impactful discoveries, decisions, and theories. This method is critical in identifying patterns and relationships in research that can be overlooked by other methods of analysis, such as surveys or observation.
The in-depth interview (IDI) is one of the most effective ways to collect rich, nuanced insights that reveal participants’ thoughts and feelings. However, the analysis of these interviews can be a complex and time-consuming process. In this article, we’ll explore the four key steps of in-depth analysis to understand how to uncover meaningful insights from your research.
IDIs require thorough transcription and coding, which can be done manually or by leveraging modern AI-powered tools like Voxpopme. Coding allows researchers to comb through transcripts and identify themes, patterns, and trends, allowing them to make sense of the data and draw conclusions from it. This is an inductive approach to analysis that is driven by the research questions and theoretical framework of the study.
In a deductive approach to the breadth-and-depth method, search-based searches in step 1 will be targeted towards the potential of archived data sets to fill a particular research gap or stimulate abductive reasoning by pointing out new possibilities. This approach will also inform the selection of texts for in-depth analysis in step 4, with an eye towards spotting indications of plausible ‘what’ and ‘why’ theoretical processes playing out.